Riedel Sommeliers 30 Yr Anniversary Set

[Jason Perlow]

$138.99 at Amazon (41 percent off)

Anyone familiar with these glasses? They are pretty darn pricey, but it seems like a good deal considering the individual prices of the glasses.

[rshorens]

I looked at the amazon site for these glasses- is it for a total of 3 glasses? There are so many Riedel glasses at varying prices in their inventory. Is the Sommelier type different, and how so?

Roz

[russ parsons]

the sommeliers are the top of riedel's line. they are amazing glasses. heck, they're amazing glass art, really beautiful. whether they are worth $50 a stem when you can get the spiegelau at $50 the half-dozen from amazon is really a matter of how disposable your income is. come to think of it, i mean that literally. the riedels are unbelievably fragile. i've got 20 or 30 of various spiegelaus for almost any dinner, then a couple dozen riedel vinums (the next step down) for great wines.

[Jason Perlow]

Personally I'd be really scared of putting these in a dishwashing machine, even a high end Miele.

I'm surprised I havent broken any Spiegelaus in our Miele yet. Seem awfully resilient for what appears to be really thin crystal.

[budrichard]

Riedel has done an amazing job at 'market fragmentation'. Think of where we were before Riedel, a glass for white, red and sparkling wines. Now a glass for EVERYTHING. I purchased a set(12) of the tasting glasses you can roll around on the table simply because I liked the idea! Our other Riedel came from Sam's Club which we use for either for red or white. Our Baccarat NEVER go in the dishwasher. -Dick

[Carolyn Tillie]

Yesterday, Amazon had this amazing deal:

6 Spiegelau crystal authentis bordeaux glasses AND

6 Spiegelau crystal authentis burgundy glasses for

the painfully cheap total of $39.99 INCLUDING shipping!

I waited a day and the deal is gone. I'm beginning to learn that I need to peruse Amazon every day for these deals - last week they had an All-Clad 3 1/2 quart saute pan for $19.99 and I didn't jump on that one either.

Amazon does get these deals every few months and I think I'll start setting aside a slush fund just for such encounters.

[Busboy]

That special seems to come and go -- we jumped on it a couple of months back, and were very pleased with the glasses. So it may come back, (especially after the holidays).

If only I could decide whether the white zinfandel goes into red wine glasses or the white wine glasses.

Edited November 13, 2003 by Busboy (log)

[=Mark]

Interesting when you consider most Europeans drink wine in 6 oz. tumblers worth less than a buck. If the glasses make such a difference how do you account for the fact that everyones mouth is shaped differently?

[Busboy]

But (in my experience) they're mostly drinking local, "peasant" wines by the pichet ...which, btw, I've found to be leaps and bounds ahead of virtually all low-cost American wines. You can often get a half liter of a wonderful local wine for less than you'd pay for a single glass of anything drinkable at a bar or restaurant here.

On the other hand, when you order a 20-euro bottle, the stemware comes out.

Personally, I drink a lot of wine out of jelly jars and try not to pull the good stuff out except when a "better" bottle is being poured.